Ekurhuleni welcomes Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay
Commonwealth Queen's Baton Relay comes to the city.
The City of Ekurhuleni, Africa’s first aerotropolis and the continent’s gateway to the world, welcomed the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Queen’s Baton Relay to the country.
The Queen’s Baton Relay (QBR) is a highly celebrated sporting tradition, which involves the passing of a baton from one Commonwealth nation to another, as an official invitation to the Commonwealth Games, which will take place in Glasgow, Scotland, in July, this year.
The handle of the Queen’s Baton is made of elm wood and at the top is a puzzle mechanism, surrounded by a titanium lattice framework, that dispenses granite gemstones to each of the Commonwealth nations and territories the baton visits, inviting them to join Glasgow at the Games.
At the heart of the baton lies a message from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, inscribed on parchment.
This message will be revealed on July 23, when the Queen reads it aloud and declares the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games open.
Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Sport and Recreation in Ekurhuleni, Clr Zeni Tshongweni, joined Minister of Sport and Recreation Fikile Mbalula and Deputy Minister Gert Oosthuizen when they received the baton on behalf of South Africa, during a media briefing, at the O R Tambo International Airport, on February 10.
The Queen’s Baton Relay will be in the country for five days and will depart from Cape Town, bound for St Helena.
